El Dorado County, one of the original 27 counties and third most populous after San
Francisco and Sacramento during the Gold Rush, was the site of James Marshall's original
gold discovery (Coloma, 1847). By the following year the area faced a massive influx of
gold seekers, notably along the American and Cosumnes Rivers. The largest communities in
El Dorado County were Coloma (county seat from 1850 to 1857), Placerville (county seat
from 1857), Georgetown and Diamond Springs.

Background

El Dorado County, one of the original 27 counties and third most populous after San
Francisco and Sacramento during the Gold Rush, was the site of James Marshall's original
gold discovery (Coloma, 1847). By the following year the area faced a massive influx of
gold seekers, notably along the American and Cosumnes Rivers. The largest communities in
El Dorado County were Coloma (county seat from 1850 to 1857), Placerville (county seat
from 1857), Georgetown and Diamond Springs.